A l d n o a h Z e r o R E W R I T E
by Shiki564
Summary: A retelling of Aldnoah.Zero, with the purpose of fleshing out lesser developed characters and addressing some of the..questionable plot developments. Mainly written for fun, it is my first fanfiction ever.
1. Prolouge

Prologue : Radiance

Aboard an alien ship, a young girl looks through a window to see a blue planet below her, Earth. To any outsider, Earth would be an object of desire and envy, but this girl was different.

She felt a connection with this planet, she was enchanted by it and wished to never see its beauty fade. This planet had everything her people needed ; water, fertile soil, a stable atmosphere, everything they could have ever wanted was here. She could hear their voices echoing in her head, yelling at her to throw her naive intentions of peace into the water, and to seize this beautiful planet for themselves.

But..how could she? How could she ruin this planet's beauty by spilling the blood of its people? How could she cast away a chance for peace without even trying? And more than anything, how could she stain the very soil she and her people were made from?

These questions and thoughts flooded Princess Asseylum's mind, as her ship prepared to land on Earth. Her people once split off from this planet to seek refuge on Mars and to create their own empire; the Vers Empire. And now they have returned to make amends with the people of Earth after many misgivings and bloodly conflicts.

This time, there would be no bloodshed. It was something she hoped for from the bottom of the heart.

She hoped that the people of Earth would not take her to be the same as the self-absorbed Versian military leaders that started many of the battles between both sides. She hoped that the blue skies of Earth were something that the Versians would one day be able to look up to.

What she hoped for was a miracle.

"Princess Asseylum? It is almost time for you to head to your bedchamber." , the sweet yet mature voice of her servant snapped her out of her stupor.

She looked in the direction of the voice to see the fair-haired and blue-eyed boy kneeling before her. The room they were in was spacious but devoid of real style or luxury, a byproduct of the lack of tangible culture or ideas in the Vers Empire. Nevertheless, the Princess was more than delighted to stay in this room, as there were plenty of windows looking out towards the blue planet.

Once again, lost in thought, she turned her attention back to the window and asked the boy, who was a Earth-born named Slaine ; "Do you know why the skies and seas of Earth are blue?"

The boy would have been surprised by this question, had the Princess not asked many similar questions in the past.

He answered with uncertainty, "I believe..I'm not sure but...I believe that the air and water are actually transparent. They exist in such high quantities that they cause the light to bend..refraction is what they call it."

Despite his uncertainty, Princess Asseylum believed him immediately. After all, she had never been to Earth but Slaine had. The princess, despite being the next to inherit the throne, was very young and innocent. She had lived on Mars her whole life, ever so curious of the nature and people of Earth. She remembered looking through Versian databases and seeing all of the different creatures and botany that they didn't have on Mars.

And always by her side was Slaine, watchful and loyal. Friendship between a Versian and an Earth-born would be looked down upon, but given the Princess' influence, there was a chance the good intent would spread.

To unite Earth and Mars through peace, tolerance, and friendship was Princess Asseylum's goal. And she was here, en-route to Earth, for that very reason.

The owner of this vessel, a man by the name of Count Cruhteo, a member of the Orbital Knights Of Mars, made his way into the room.

"Oh. There you are, Princess. I asked the Terran boy to remind you of how late it's become but it seems he forgot." Cruhteo said with disdain.

Despite being a charismatic and strong-willed man, he too carried the envy and scorn that most Versians had towards Earth-borns. The Count was tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes similar to the Princess' own.

The Princess spoke up in Slaine's behalf, "It is not his fault Count, I heard him but was too entranced by Earth to pay mind to it."

The Count looked at Slaine with sharpness and uncertainty, but no longer with animosity.

Slaine may be a Terran, but he has served Princess Asseylum for years, ever since he was young and migrated to Mars with his father. His father, Doctor Troyard, is to whom the Versians owe their technology, the Aldnoah Drive, to.

"Very well. But please, turn in for the night Princess, tomorrow is the day we make our landing." Cruhteo said to the Princess with utmost respect and kindness

The Princess nodded in response, and waved goodbye to Slaine, before leaving the room.

The Count gave Slaine one last uncertain look before exiting the room as well.

Slaine, clearly exhausted, let out a sigh of relief as he looked at the blue planet right in front of them.

Despite it being his birthplace, he felt no attachment to it. The people of Earth were not his people. The leaders of Earth were not his leaders. The air of Earth was not the air of Mars.

No matter how many people may mock his Terran heritage, he knew, that he was a more loyal Versian than any other.

If there was one thing he liked about Earth, it was birds. They fly around, beautifully, gracefully, and yet the people of Earth cage them and keep them from living how they please.

Why?

Why cage something that is so beautiful? The question plagued his mind.

And the only real answer he could come up with was that people cage what is beautiful out of a desire to preserve and protect that beauty.

Like parents protecting the innocence of a child, but to a much more selfish degree.

After all, who asked the birds how they felt?

Slaine let out yet another sigh as he got back to work, filled with a new-found determination to do his best and prove that he can be the sole knight to stand side-by-side with the Princess.

To him, the Princess was everything.

And to protect her radiance, no matter the cost, was his singular goal.

-End-


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 : A Sin That Can't Be Atoned For**

Shinawara, Japan, 2014

"-People have been expressing their worries and hopes on social media ever since it was revealed that the Princess of the Vers Empire would be coming to Earth to restore the peace we once shared. After the tragedies of the First Earth-Mars War and Heaven's Fall, peace is all we can wish for. Many have said that the Versians cannot be trusted and that war is imminent, while others say that peace will not be achieved without taking these risky first steps-"

The sound of the stove started to drown out the mumbling from the TV. Inaho Kaizuka was lost in thought as he prepared breakfast for his older sister, Yuki. If what he heard was correct, history would be made in the few following days. And yet, something kept tugging ar him. He had nothing against Vers or its people but what about the lives lost and families broken because of the previous war? Will the Versians be forgiven so easily for the hell they created?

"I should get going for school now..." He put the food on the table and looked around the house, reminiscing how lonely it was with just him and Yuki. Somewhere in his mind were memories of parents and distant relatives but they were hidden so deep that he couldn't remember much even if he wanted to. He might have even hidden those memories subconsciously because of trauma, but he would never really know.

He saw himself as a strange person. Every day they were taught military procedures and the basics of piloting mechs because of the conflict with Vers, and even though that brought a sense of purpose to others, to him it felt meaningless. It wasn't as if he didn't want to fight for "humanity", but he always felt like an outsider ; a realist who wouldn't, or more properly, _couldnt_, agree with the way others thought.

And as much as he hated to admit it, he was a bit of a brick wall. No matter what happened, he dealt with the problem at a almost robotic level of efficiency. This made his grades some of the best in the school, but the price was feeling like he wasn't human.

As if to ruin his soulsearching, Yuki ran into the room with the worst bedhead he had ever seen. "Nao-kun, what time is it...?" Her words would have been unintelligible to anyone else with how lazily she spoke, but he understood. He looked at his watch and said with his usual dryness, "They've probably fired you by now." She groaned, "Why didn't you wake me up..." , with her usual morning grogginess.

"I did, _Warrant Officer Kaizuka._ You should be able to reach the school before your shift starts...probably. Be sure to wash the dishes. I'll be leaving now." He left the room with those words, pretending to not hear her mumbling and groaning as he left.

Yuki worked in Inaho's school as a instructor, so they often rode the school bus together despite Yuki having a car. As soon as Inaho made his way to the bus stop, his friends immediately complained about her absence. His clique contained 5 people, 3 boys including him, and 2 girls. The guys were Calm Craftman and Okisuke ("Okojo") Mikuni, the girls, Nina Klein and Inko Amifumi. How he managed to get so many friends was beyond him.

Calm and Nina came from abroad, which was easily noticed by their blond hair and blue-green eye color, and of course, their names. Inko and Okisuke had black hair common to most Japanese people. Inko's eyes were a beautiful violet, while Okisuke's were brownish-red, similar to Inaho's own.

Nina and Inko were sitting in front of him and the other guys, watching a documentary on their tablet. He could pick up on some bits here and there, such as : "Apollo 17...Aldnoah...abandoned alien technology...Vers.."

Okisuke was sitting on his right and playing on a type of portable gaming device he'd seen at the discount store when picking up some groceries. "Hey Okojo, if you keep spending all your time messing around, you'll never get good grades ya know?" Calm was teasing Okisuke in his usual endearing way. Okisuke retorted, "You were the one who got a C-Minus on our last drill!"

Even Inko joined in, "You guys better watch out, I'm going to dethrone Inaho as the top student in our class. I've been paying extra attention and taking as many notes as I can." She flashed a look towards Inaho smugly. Okisuke laughed at her by saying that no one could best Inaho. While those two were debating about Inko's chances at surpassing Inaho, Calm pointed out the window towards a block of buildings that were surrounded by construction vehicles.

"Reconstruction is still ongoing even 15 years later huh? Back where me and Nina came from, things are even worse.." Calm's expression darkened as he spoke. Inaho knew little about Calm and Nina's pasts but one look at Calm's face said enough that needed to be said. Inaho, unsure of what to do or say, just gently patted Calm on the shoulder.

"Thanks man." Calm flashed a smile that would have made you think that there was nothing wrong with him a minute ago, but Inaho could tell. Inko, who sensed the atmosphere gave Nina a pat on the head, to which she gave a grateful nod.

Seemed that no matter where you went, people's lives had been ruined by the Versians. Or at least, that's what most people would have thought. Inaho felt that the Versians were definitely at fault but also that a conflict of this intensity was bound to happen soon one way or another. If not the Versians, then someone else; _someone else would become the scapegoat_. He recalled the answer he gave in class when the teacher asked what they defined war as :

"Warfare is nothing but a means of negotiation between states. War will break out even if there is no hatred. As long as there is an objective to achieve or an ideal to defend, _there will be war."_

* * *

"-and so, the discovery of the Hyper Gate on the moon by Apollo 17 led to the colonization of Mars. The Hyper Gate was an relic left behind by an ancient Martian civilization that made transportation between the moon and Mars possible. Soon after Apollo 17's discovery, a scientist and archaeologist by the name of Troyard found yet another relic of this alien civilization hidden underneath the ruins of a temple on Mars ; a strange form of energy named "Aldnoah". Those who migrated to Mars started to create weaponry and inventions using the new-found Aldnoah technology, which in turn led to the creation of the Vers Empire and the beginning of our long-standing conflict with them. The First Earth-Mars War started in 1999, when the Vers Empire declared war on Earth. "Heaven's Fall" is the name given to the first, and most brutal, battle of the war. In a catastrophic turn of events, the Hyper Gate went out of control becuase of the fighting and self-destructed, causing entire chunks of the moon to rain down on Earth's cities, killing millions. The Orbital Knights Of Mars, Vers' army, unable to go back to Mars, but fully equipped with Aldnoah technology, took refuge in the Satelite Belt and continued their assault on Earth. One of the many battles against them took place right here in Japan, on the island of Tanegashima-"

At hearing the name of Tanegashima, Lieutenant Marito started to shake with anger. He was a teacher at Shinawara High School, and as of that moment, he was watching the students do drills with their mechs as a lesson played over the speakers . "Damn those upper brass...they put the guns in the hands of these kids like it's a toy but don't tell them the truth..." Marito lamented, feeling more and more sickened the more he watched.

The mechs the students were piloting were known as KG-6 Slepnirs, a orange-colored training unit. The students were practicing on an open field while the Lieutenant was sitting inside a small one floor building with windows providing a full view of the students outside. For a second he saw his reflection against the window glass and sighed. His face had lost the shine it once had, and his eyes had a emptiness to them that scared him. His brown hair was a bit ruffled but otherwise okay, he brought out a comb and combed it out a little bit, chuckling that it wasn't going to make him look any younger.

"Sorry for being late!-", Yuki Kaizuka opened the door and came in. Marito gave her a nod and straightened his tie as she walked in. Officer Kaizuka was the kind of person who made you want to be at your best when with her. He had heard from her that she was a sloth at home, but apart from her arriving late a few times, he could sense innate talent within her. The same went for her brother Inaho, who was on the field right now as they spoke.

"Hmm...is that alcohol I smell?" Yuki looked at the Lieutenant suspiciously and eventually he cracked. He averted his eyes, not sure what to say. "Didn't I tell you to not drink on work days? The students will get the wrong idea about you." Yuki scolded him in a way that saddened him for some reason.

"Don't worry. I'm used to being looked down upon." He was leaving the room now that Yuki's shift had started. Yuki couldn't bear to hear the Lieutenant's self-depreciating words and told him before he left, "You are a still a great soldier, don't forget that, Lieutenant Marito."

He looked back one more time before leaving. He locked his eyes with Yuki's but seeing that she wasn't willing to back down, he accepted her comment silently and left.

The sounds of the students firing off their 75mm guns, all of them trying to out-do each other as if it was a game, were all he could hear for the rest of the day.

"...I really do hate this job.."

* * *

"Oh? Didn't I tell you to cut down on the alcohol, Lieutenant?" Dr. Soma Yagarai was echoing what Officer Kaizuka had said earlier. Lieutenant Marito was sitting in a bar, chugging down a glass of alcohol out of frustration.

"And didn't I tell you that I can't do my job without drinking?" he put the glass down, making sure to not look at Yagarai as he sat down next to him. "You're doing good work for humanity, giving all of us hope for the future. Wasn't that why you wanted to become a soldier back then?" Yagarai knew Marito for many years, he helped Marito overcome his PTSD after he served in the First Earth-Mars War.

"Seeing those kids like that...all the lies we've fed to them..who's going to make up for it? When they're on the front lines surrounded by mountains of corpses, and they look us straight in the eyes, what will we tell them? When they come face to face with one of those Versian Kataphrakts, they'll know..they'll know that when it comes to Versians, it's never a battle. It's a massacre. We'll be the ones sending them to get gunned down, and the Versians will be the ones gunning them down. In that case..aren't we just as cruel as them? They're _children, _Y_a_garai. They should be enjoying their adolescence, that's the responsibility of us adults. To steal that from them is a sin we can't atone for. A sin that won't be forgotten even if all those Versians are wiped out." He asked the bartender for another glass as the doctor listened.

"It's hell out there. War is Hell. I've seen it with my own eyes, we've all seen it. I killed him, doctor. He asked me to put him out of his misery. I killed him with my own two hands, my best friend. The way he looked when his body crumpled, he looked so happy...Just imagine if one of those kids were asked to do the same. The scars they get will bring pride to us adults but they'll become a reminder to those children...a reminder that this is the kind of world they were born into. A reminder, that this is the kind of the world they live in."

-End-


End file.
